Container



May 6; 1958 c. D. wELsHENBAcH CONTAINER Filed Jan. 23, 1956 INVENTOR l Charles D. Welshenbach BY M ATTORNEYS United States Patent mesne assignments, to West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delawar Application January 23,1956, Serial No. 560,684 3 Claims. (Cl. 229-23) This invention relates to paperboard containers and particularly to containers of the type comprising a paneled body having out-turned flaps at the end of each panel and a cover or covers therefor having down-turned flaps with in-turned end portions overlying the out-turned panel aps.

Examples of containers of the type to which the invention relates are found in U. S. Patents 2,040,224, 2,214,220 and 2,474,968 to Unsinger, Beaman and Beach, respectively.

The object of the present invention is to provide a container of the 'above type in which girth straps around the reinforced end or ends of the container are positively anchored against longitudinal slipping along the container and in which such girth straps may be pre-positioned in proper encircling location prior to tightening and fastenmg.

Containers of the type to which the invention relates have been heretofore reinforced by flat girth straps or by girth wires. In the case of girth wires, longitudinal displacement has been prevented by notching the sides of the cover flaps in such a way as to -allow the girth wire to be positioned within the notches at each corner of the container. In the case of girth straps, however, it has been impractical to provide similar notches because of the width of the strap. Notches which will accommodate `a girth strap are of such a size as to seriously weaken the reinforced end structures of the containers. This weakening is particularly aggravated where a rectangular container is provided (as distinguished from a container of ve or more sides, such as hexagonal or octagonal containers) because of the relatively acute angle of bend around the corners of the four-sided container, over which corners the tightened and encircling strap passes.

In general, ilat straps are superior to narrow wires for the reason that the tension of a dat strap is more evenly distributed on the rim than is the tension of a narrow wire, so that flat straps are less likely to cut and weaken the container structures than are narrow wires. However, as above noted, it has not heretofore been practical to provide a liat strap with its inherent advantages and at the same time insure against longitudinal shifting, since the advantages of the at strap, per se, are more than outweighed by the disadvantages of providing structureweakening notches for the flat strap.

According to the present invention, a container is provided in which the cover flaps are not weakened in any manner lacross the entire width of the container structure but are provided with extending tabs through which open strap-positioning eyes or slots. Accordingly, there is pro vided a container structure which may utilize a flat reinforcing girth strap which is positively held against longitudinal displacement in such a way as to avoid any weakening of the structure. There is further provided a structure on which a strap may be threaded to be held in proper position during tightening thereof.

These and other advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following disclosure of one example of the invention. In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a container structure embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a view of the body blank for the container shown in Figure l.

Figure 3 is a view of the top or end blank for the container shown in Figure l.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view on an enlarged scale taken on line 4--4 in Figure 1.

The container body 10 is made of paperboard or similar suitable material, preferably a heavy corrugated paper. The body 10 is divided into panels 11 by means of creases or scores 12 extending longitudinally of the body. The body may be made from 'a tiat blank and the overlapping edges of the material secured together by staples 13 or otherwise, 'a suitable end tab 14 being provided for fastening the sides of the blank to form a tubular body member.

At the end of each panel 11 is provided a projecting flap 15, a score line or score lines 16 facilitating folding of each iiap outwardly into proximity with the associated panel 11, to which it is attached. The end or cover member 20 is of polygonal shape to lit the top of the body member 10, and each side of the cover member 20 is provided with a projecting flap 21, a score line or score lines 22 being provided for facilitating downward bending of each liap 21. At least some of the iiaps 21 are provided with tabs 23, in which are formed slots or eyes 24, in the manner shown in the drawings. The slots` or eyes 24 preferably lie outside the normal side edges of the iiaps 21 with which they are associated, as shown.

When the cover or top 20 is pressed on the body 10, its flaps 21 are bent downwardly to engage the body panel flaps l5, and the locking iiaps 21a are rebent upwardly so as to lie between the body panels 11 and the body panel aps 15. A strap 2.5 extends around the downturned cover flaps and through the slots or openings 24 and is drawn up tight to hold the cover or end securely in position. The lbottom of the container may consist merely of conventional overlapped and adhered or fastened tiaps, or, as in the illustrated example, it may duplicate the top closure described above. It should be noted that in assembling the structure the strap 2S, when threaded through the eyes, is held thereby in exactly the correct position for `subsequent tightening.

The specific carton structure shown in the drawings is disclosed only by Way of example. The scope of the iuvention is defined in the following claims. In the claims, the unmodified term strap7 is to be understood as embracing at straps and narrow wires, while the term flat strap is to be understood as specifying a substantially flat metal band.

What is claimed is:

l. A paperboard container having a tubular body of polygonal cross-section, a separate end closure wall of corresponding configuration disposed over one end of said body with the margin of said closure wall outwardly spaced from the adjacent side walls of said body, a plurality of body flaps on said body extending from said one end toward the other end of said body on the outer sides of the sidewalls of said body, closure iiaps extending from said margin of said closure wall and corresponding to said body iiaps, each of said closure flaps having an outer portion extending from said margin toward said other end of said body in covering relationship with an associated body flap and each of said closure flaps having a re-bent portion extending between said associated body Hap and the associated sidewall of said body from the extremity of its said outer portion toward said one end, tabs extending laterally from sides of at least some of said closure flaps, slots in said tabs, a at strap member tightly enaeesaee circling Vsaid aps and passing through said slots whereby said closure member is lockedin substantially immovable reinforcing position on said container by means which do not derogate from fthe strength 'or tight closure 'of said container.

2. A device 'as dened in claim 1 Vin which 'said tribular body is of rectangular cross-section.

3. yA Vpaperboard container having a tubular body of polygonal cross-section having vertical sides and vertical corners, a separate endfclosure wall of corresponding configuration disposed over one end of said body with the margin of said closure wall outwardly spaced from the adjacent side walls of said body, a plurality of body aps on said body extending from` said one end toward the other end of said body 'on the outer sides of the sidewalls of lsaid body, 'closure flaps extending from said margin of said closure wall and corresponding to said body flaps, each of said closure flaps having an outer portion extending from said margin toward said other end'ofsaid body in covering relationship withran associated body flap and each of said closure flaps having a re-bent portion extending between said associated body flap and the associated sidewall of said body from the extremity of its said cuter portion toward said Jone end, tabs xed to 'at least some of said closure flaps land extending laterally from said structure outwardly beyond the vertical side corners with which they are associated, said tabs being cut to form "strap-receiving apertures, lthe inner edges of the apertures being substantially 'at the vertical side corners with which they are associated.

References Cited in the ileof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,480,358 Wirtz Jan. 8, 1924 2,214,220 Beaman Sept. 1.0, .1940 2,357,092 Mian Aug. 29, 1,944 

